http://www.financialpost.com/n.....id=1702947

Ventana's 'world-class discovery'

Brazilian billionaire snaps up 9.5% of Ventana
Peter Koven, Financial Post Published: Monday, July 20, 2009

http://www.financialpost.com/n.....id=1809903
Brazilian billionaire Eike Batista has snapped up a 9.5% stake in Ventana Gold Corp., adding to the hype of what was already Canada's hottest junior-gold play.
Mr. Batista's investment company, EBX Group, announced Monday it bought more than 8.2 million Ventana shares through an entity called 63X Master Fund. At current prices, those shares are worth more than $40-million.
The endorsement from Mr. Batista, the richest man in Brazil and one of the world's most flamboyant billionaires, is another milestone for Vancouver-based Ventana, which has been the talk of the junior-mining world this summer after it made a high-grade gold discovery on its La Bodega project in Colombia.
Mr. Batista is the world's 61st-richest man, according to Forbes magazine, with an estimated net worth of US$7.5-billion. The college dropout and speedboat enthusiast made his fortune in the resource sector, building an empire of companies involved in mining, energy and logistics that can all be identified by the "X" at the end of their names.
Last July, Mr. Batista was engulfed in controversy when police raided his home and office as part of a probe into government corruption and tax evasion. He dismissed the action as a "gigantic mistake" and weathered the storm.
Earlier in 2008, he raised US$4.1-billion in an initial public offering of OGX Group, his oil-exploration firm.
He is the second high-profile mining executive to take an interest in Ventana's discovery. The first is Vancouver entrepreneur Ross Beaty, who owns more than 15% of the company.
Experts said an investment from someone with Mr. Batista's track record in Latin America is another positive for Ventana, which has won over investors hoping that La Bodega could be the best discovery in years. But others remain cautious as drilling is still in the early stages.
The EBX announcement caused confusion as the company said it bought the Ventana shares in a private placement. Ventana later clarified that it has had no contact with EBX and that the shares were purchased on the open market